Let Me Go
by The Lovely Nightingale
Summary: Elena's leaving for college, to leave Mystic Falls behind and escape for awhile. Not only is she leaving behind mystic falls but also Damon Salvatore, the boy she refuses to admit she loves. Now she's found herself in New York where alone without a Salvatore to protect her. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Let Me Go

Chapter 1: I Have to Leave

Standing here, in the middle of the old house I had come to love felt so strange. I could hear Damon upstairs rustling around, getting ready. I have always felt safe around him; I mean he has always protected me. That's why this lunch is insanely difficult for me, I just don't know if I can say goodbye like this. I have to, my plane leaves tomorrow and he needs to know I'm leaving. I don't know why I am so nervous, it's not like this is the worst news I'll ever give to someone. I start to think of how to tell him when I hear footsteps behind me and I hear:

"Hello Elena" Damon said as I turned my head.

"Hey Damon" I say trying to hide the fact that I want to cry.

"You ready to go?"

"Sure"

He opened the door and we stepped out into the beautiful lawn of the old house. We walked to his car that I have grown to love. We were going to the Grill so the drive would be just enough time to think of a plan. The whole drive I was lost and thought, Damon must have noticed and decided not to interrupt until we got there. When we sat down inside the Grill was when he started questioning.

"Someone's quite, what's wrong?" he asked sympathetically.

"Nothing, just thinking about something"

"What?" he asked in nosey tone.

"Nothing that important" I say forcing a smile that obviously didn't work

"You're such a bad liar" he smirked, "c'mon tell me"

"Damon it's not important"

"Elena, I'm gonna get it out of you, just tell me," after a pause I decided just to spill.

"You aren't going to like this, but I really need to tell you;" after a long pause I finish. "Damon, I'm leaving for New York tomorrow," I said trying to hold back any emotions, 'cause if I start crying I won't stop.

"So you got into NYU then, well that's great Lena" I could tell he was unhappy, but being Damon he would never show it.

"That's all you're going to say?" I say not being entirely surprised.

"What do you want me to say? That I'm sad that you're leaving? Or I don't want you to go? Well, I'm not sad so deal with it,"

"Well you're obviously upset so, why?" I say trying to keep my cool.

"I'm upset because knowing you you'll find a way to get yourself into something that will get you killed." He paused before continuing, "New York is far enough away for you to get hurt, but too far for me to save you" he said as he stormed out to his car, I followed out and got in.

The ride back to his house seemed longer than the way to the Grill. I tried to figure out why Damon was so upset, it was more than just me. Then it hit me, he'll be alone here, Stefan is gone and I am the only one here that knows about what he is and doesn't hate him for it. As we got to the door, I felt terrible about myself, I didn't even think about how he was going to be alone. Before we said goodbye I had to say one more thing:

"I'm sorry for leaving you alone here, I didn't think about how if I left you would be alone, and I'm sorry for that"

"Elena, I've lived on my own before I'll be fine don't worry"

As I walked to my car I knew he was lying. He wouldn't be fine, he would probably go on a killing spree while he's day drunk. I almost turn back and tell him I'll stay but I just can't make myself; I just need to get out of this town for awhile. Tonight will be a rough night and I know he won't come to see me. I just need to make it through tonight; tomorrow I will be on a plane to New York starting a new life at college.

* * *

I woke up in a haze. I was hoping everything was a dream; that I wasn't leaving and that I wouldn't be so far away from Damon. I force myself to get up and get dressed. It was five in the morning and for some reason I was full of energy. After I was dressed I went downstairs only to find the one thing I had been wanting all night.

"Damon" I say trying not to hug him "what are you doing here?"

"I felt bad about how things were left yesterday, I'm sorry I snapped," he said apologetically.

"You had a right to; I mean it can be expected based on our history,"

"And that is supposed to mean what?" he said sounding agitated.

"It means that when something happens that isn't your way, you lash out" I say trying to keep my head.

"I lash out because I hope that it will make you want to stay; because you'll see how much of a mess I am at only the thought of you leaving"

He has a point it did make me want to stay. I could see that he was going to fall apart, but I didn't want to admit it. I need to leave. If I don't then I'll fall apart, its been hard enough with Klaus on the loose and with Jenna gone, I can't take this town anymore.

"Well it sort of worked, but I need get out of this town." I say reaching for my suitcase. Jeremy was planning on driving me, but I think that the plans have changed.

"Okay, I won't stop you, let me help you with that," he grabbed my bag and started heading for the door.

I looked to Jeremy as he nodded his head, confirming that Damon was taking me. I hugged him goodbye and followed Damon out the door. These are my last steps in Mystic Falls for awhile. The ride to the airport was surprisingly nice; there were no more fights and no small awkward talk. At the airport was a little harder:

"Damon, I want you to know this isn't permanent, I will be back I promise" I say giving him a hug, and fighting the tears coming to my eyes.

"Elena I know you'll be back, it's just a matter of time before you begin to miss me" he said giving me his half-smile. He's got a point, I will miss him.

"Goodbye Damon"

"Goodbye Elena" I started walking toward security when I turned around and said

"Damon, I-" I didn't even finish because he wasn't there; he was gone so I just stood there for a moment and cried. Then I carried on and boarded my plane. As I sat down in my seat I wondered, why did he run? That kept playing in my mind.

Why

Did

He

Run?


	2. I must be dreaming

Let Me Go

_**Chapter 2: "I must be dreaming"  
**_

_**Dreaming or awake, we perceive only events that have meaning to us.**__** ~Jane Roberts**_

"This has to be a dream." That's all I've been able to think the past week. I keep thinking that this is just one long dream, or maybe I got into an accident and I'm in a coma. I knew these things weren't true but I needed to think them so I wouldn't breakdown. If I even think that I had left Damon: my friend, my savior on so many occasions, and the one that made me feel better when I was in a depressed mood, I would lose it. I did it, I just left him and now I feel terrible. The only thing that made me feel slightly better was just diving head first into my classes.

I found journalism fun; it was interesting and made me look in a different direction. This week was all about settling in, so no real hard work was done. I settled into my new dorm, by myself, it was peaceful and being by myself gave me the power to decorate my way. Oh who was I kidding I was alone and I couldn't stand it. I finally had enough of it and called Damon. It rang for awhile and then when to voice mail, so I left a message:

"Hey Damon, its Elena I was just wondering how you're doing and I just called to say hi" I paused and thought for a second "Damon, we need to talk about something and its important so please call me as soon, bye"

After I hung up I decided to go have fun, so I took a walked to the nearest bar. It was full of college kids watching football. I was looking around just to see if there was anyone I recognized from my classes. As I browsed my eye caught on the television for awhile, though I didn't understand football its fun to watch. I glanced over my shoulder and there he was, just sitting across the long wooden bar was the man I fell in love with. Stefan Salvatore.

* * *

I got up and ran out of the bar as fast as I could. I just hoped he didn't notice me or that Klaus wasn't there. This is very, very bad! Why is he here of all places, I thought he was causing torment somewhere else! I couldn't believe he was here; I was both scared and happy. I knew he was changed I could see it at a distance but it was glad to see him physically unharmed. I was still partially running when I hit my dorms. The first thing I did was try to call Damon again.

After the five dial tones he picked up. "Hello?" He said normally

"Damon its Elena" I said panicked

"Elena? What's wrong" he asked troubled.

"He's here Damon, he's here and I saw him"

"Wait Elena, slow down who's there?"

"Stefan! Damon, Stefan is in New York"

"What? Elena, did Stefan see you?"

"No I don't think so, I ran out as soon as I saw him"

"Did you see Klaus, or was Stefan alone"

"No I didn't see Klaus, but I think that he was there"

"Elena you need to come home! Klaus can't know you 're alive" he said both worried and aggravated.

"Damon I can't come home NYU is my dream, you know that I can't just leave it behind" I say as I wipe the tears coming from my eyes.

"I know Elena, I know but you need to be safe and we don't know how long they are going to be there"

"I'm not leaving Damon, I won't"

"Then I'm coming up there, Elena you are not going to be there without protection"

"Damon, please just let this pan out okay? I promise if I see either one of them I will call and you can come up here, but now I need to be here alone, okay?"

"No Elena, I won't- I won't lose you" he said so sweetly.

"You won't lose me, I promise the slightest sign of trouble I will call you, I promise" I say trying not to make it sound like I was crying.

"Okay Elena, but you have to call me if anything happens"

"I will, Damon I promise I will"

"Okay Elena, okay I'm sorry this happened, so try to get some sleep and call me if you need to talk anymore ok?"

"Okay"

"Goodnight Elena"

"Night Damon"

* * *

After the call I took a shower and tried to sleep but I couldn't. So I just decided to watch TV to distract myself. After that got boring I decided to just sit and think; that led to crying so I grabbed my phone and plugged in my ear buds. After awhile of listening to music I fell asleep and didn't dream any dreams worth remembering.

Thank god it was a Saturday and I didn't have any classes scheduled. Today was about de-stressing and relaxation, so I decide to go on a walk in Central Park. It was peaceful, it wasn't that cold although it was the fall, and there were dogs and some birds still left in their nests. As I walked back to my dorm, I walked past the bar that I saw him in yesterday. I resisted the urge to walk in there to see if he was in there, I knew if he was I wouldn't run again in fact I'd probably end up running toward him and not away. When I reached my dorm I realized I had left my phone on my bed, as I looked at it I saw that there were several missed calls from Damon, Caroline, Bonnie, and Jeremy. After I listened to all of the distressed messages, I called Damon.

"Hello?" he asked very anxiously

"Hey Damon, I'm sorry I didn't get your calls until now, I was taking a walk and I forgot my phone"

"Elena, thank god! Are you okay?"

"Yeah Damon, I'm perfectly fine I just forgot my phone"

"Well gee, thanks for the heart attack" he said in his sarcastic tone.

"Sorry, I swore I grabbed it"

"Its fine Elena, I'm just glad you're okay"

"Speaking of okay, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine Elena, everything is just perfectly fine" he obviously lied

"You know you're a terrible liar, really Damon is there anything wrong?"

"No Elena, I'm fine I was just really worried about you, I tend to do that"

"Alright then Damon, I should go I have stuff I need to do" I lied.

"Okay Elena, I talk to you later bye"

"Bye"

As I hung up the phone, there was a knock on my dorm door. As I opened the door I got the worst surprise ever. There just feet from me was this now-stranger I barely recognized.

"Stefan"

**AN: Hey! I am sorry for the slow update, I have been getting ready for school and a trip that I'm taking in like two weeks so I am really busy. I hope you guys like the story and I would love reviews. Also, I am sorry if these chapters are short, I am working on them being longer but can't figure it out! I am also thinking of a Damon POV and would love ideas. Thanks, B**


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